Details on Waiver Package
States will receive flexibility in 10 areas if they adopt three policy priorities. Our AASA blog gives you the details here. AASA member and Springfield (Ohio) Superintendent David Estrop was invited to join President Barack Obama on stage for the president's remarks on the waiver program. Picture and story here.

Pleased With Intent of AASA's Waivers, But ...
Following President Obama's announcement of the waiver proposal, AASA Executive Director issued a statement in which he said that AASA will continue to urge relief for schools via regulatory relief, the suspension of AYP and the 2014 targets, the ability of states to design their own accountability system and the removal of the 20 percent set-aside for SES and choice. Full statement here.

A Better Way To Fix No Child Left Behind
Lamar Alexander, a Republican senator from Tennessee and former secretary of education, describes the five bills that he and several other senators have introduced to fix the problems with ESEA. More here.

New Member BenefitExclusive discounts from thousands of brands, AASA members now receive discounts on hundreds of everyday purchases. More information here.

Gaining on the Gap: Changing Hearts, Minds and Practice in the Arlington Public Schools

The strength of the book lies in how a school board, superintendent and determined staff members, including teachers, tackled a thorny problem that plagues schools and school divisions around the country. Rowman & Littlefield Education (2011).

CLOSING THE GAP

Opportunity To Join New Project

Learn More at WebinarThursday, Oct. 6, 2011, from 2 to 3p.m. EST
Learn about the Closing the Gap: Turning SIS/LMS Data Into Action project and how your district can apply to serve as a Communities of Practice cohort. We'll walk you through the application process, benefits of participation and district requirements. Register today.

Participate in New ProjectClosing the Gap: Turning SIS/LMS Data Into Action
AASA is seeking school districts to participate In Communities of Practice cohorts for the Closing the Gap project. More information here. Application deadline is Oct. 21, 2011.

Volunteer for Focus Group:San Diego, Calif., Oct. 19, 2011, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Participants are needed for two focus groups for Closing the Gap: Turning SIS/LMS Data Into Action project. Each participant will receive a $50 honorarium. For more details and to RSVP, contact Vera Turner at vturner@aasa.org or 703-875-0710.

Free Webinar From Discovery Education

"Lessons From the Field: Assessing and Evaluating Educational Leadership" will take place on Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. Hosted by nationally acclaimed school leadership expert Joseph Murphy, participants will learn about current issues and opportunities in developing fair and equitable principal evaluation systems. Register here.

BLOG ROLL

Yes, There Are Stupid Questions
Written by Alfie Kohn, author of 12 books about education and human behavior, who says here, "indeed, teaching designed to raise test scores typically reduces the time available for real learning."

Shift Happens
Part of the Did You Know (Shift Happens) recordings, this video is aimed at Iowa policymakers, citizens and educators to cleverly create a greater sense of urgency about schools.

School Solutions Center

The Hope Foundation: What Highly Effective School Leaders Do To Sustain Success Whether turning around low-performing schools or closing gaps among all schools throughout the district, effective leaders draw on common principles and practices to sustain their students' success. More.

Standardized Tests and High-Stakes Judgments

The School Administrator'sOctober issue examines evaluation and assessment. John Tanner, who leads the consulting organization Test Sense, criticizes the misapplication of standardized test scores in high-stakes judgments, while the Economic Policy Institute's Elaine Weiss explains the unresolved complexities of sorting teachers based on student test performance. Other features include practical steps on analyzing school data as a team, the case for mentoring teachers and the importance of articulating the habits of top-performing teachers. The magazine's print edition is being mailed the first week of October.

School districts should do their own diligence before signing contracts with companies that belong to the AASA School Solution Center.

ABOUT THIS MESSAGEThe Leader's Edge is a biweekly e-publication for members of the American Association of School Administrators. To update your e-mail address or other contact information or unsubscribe, please call 703-875-0748, e-mail membership@aasa.org, fax 703-841-1543, or log on to the AASA membership website. Please allow up to five business days to process your request to unsubscribe.

ADVERTISE IN THE LEADER'S EDGE
To reach more than 10,000 superintendents, school administrators and other leading K-12 decision makers ? who control annual expenditures of billions of dollars in the education marketplace ? please contact James Debois of Multiview (800-816-6710, jdebois@multiview.com), or visit the AASA website for more information.